Valentine's Day Surprise
by The Zutara Critic
Summary: Zutara. Zuko and Katara, and Toph well everyone are quite OOC but not really because of the changes in his life. Btw, they are all changed for the better. Like we want them to be. R & R. [oneshot]


Valentine's Day Surprise

Monday, December 25, 2006

6:32 PM

BACKGROUND: Zuko ran away from Azula with Iroh and were now traveling with the avatar. All of that angsty pain crap he had bottled up was released when he shared his past with Katara one night.

Disclaimer: Just go ahead and ruin my hopes and dreams. I DO NOT own Avatar: the Last Airbender.



Katara awoke early one morning at camp. Zuko had already started a fire and was meditating. Iroh was asleep, Toph was in her tent, and Sokka and Aang were asleep on Appa. Katara, not wanting to disturb Zuko, crept southward to the nearby stream. As she took off her dress and went into the water, a peaceful calm came over her senses and her waterbending skills took over. She knew what day it was, St. Valentine's day, and so she sculpted an ice man and danced with him under the rising sun. Her thoughts trailed to Zuko and her love for him, remembering her conversation with Toph.

_"Zuko, pass me that pot?" Katara asked._

_"Sure," Zuko said, and as he passed it their hands touched, if only for a moment. Toph noticed spikes in both their heart rates, but decided not to tell Katara that. Later that night, while Toph and Katara were bathing, Toph made Katara spill it. "I notice it," she said._

_"Wha- what?" Katara stammered, shamed at being caught thinking about him. "I don't- what are you talking abou-"_

_"Sugarqueen it's so obvious. When you look at him, when you talk to him, when he touches you. Your heart goes from human to rabbit-squirrel in a matter of seconds!" Toph smirked._

_"Toph, what the- I know it may- don't look at me- OKAY FINE!!! I LOVE HIM! HAPPY NOW??????!!" she burst._

_"Just don't ruin it sweetness. Who knows, he may have a thing for you too." Toph said._

Katara smiled at the memory, and now danced with the ice Zuko her heart throbbed for. Unbeknownst to her, someone very handsome was watching her from among the foliage.

Zuko had noticed Katara sneaking off into the woods and had followed her, remembering what Aang had told him not long ago.

_"If you really love her, you'll take care of her like I never could." said Aang._

_"Wha- what???" Zuko sputtered, shamed at being caught staring at her. "I don't- I couldn't-"_

_"Just do what I can't, okay? Be nice. I can't have any worldly attachments, and that means her too." Aang said with a sad smile. "Protect her. For her sake as well as mine." Aang sidled away sadly._

Now Zuko watched her dancing with an ice man. It looked familiar- wait! It was him! Zuko's heart raced as he stared at her waltzing, his brain trying to process the fat that she liked him back but failing miserably. She stopped and he listened to her talking to the ice Zuko.

"Oh, Zuko, do you know what today is? It's St. Valentine's Day. Oh yes I would love to join you for a dance underneath the moonlight. Tonight? Wonderful. Too bad you will never be real Zuko. I love you anyway." She sighed, words tainted with sorrow.

His brain registered the St. Valentine's Day part. He knew what he had to do. Zuko crept back to the campsite, Katara's words still on his mind.



Katara sighed into the water as she danced with her Zuko under the moonlight. "Zuko, why can't you be real???"

"But I can," he answered, stepping out of the woods. Katara blushed and turned scarlet.

"Let's dance," As he bowed and kissed her hand. She curtsied and they begun the dance of lovers- the tango. Then he twirled her and switched his stylings to waltz, she promptly following suit. As they slowed to a stop, he dipped her and they were close, both warm from each other in the cool stream.

"Zuko this has been-" "Wait. The night's not yet over," he interrupted. Zuko pulled a box from his pocket and held it out to her. She opened it and gasped when she was a beautiful ring, red and blue ying-yang symbol on the top. It was simple, yet encrusted with purple diamonds around the edges.

"Katara, I have wanted to say this to you for a long time. You take my breath away, and you always have. You made me the man I am today since the moment in those caves. After I stole Azula's war plans and broke Iroh out I thought I would never regain your trust. And that night when we shared pasts you made me realize that I was not a failure. You are the reason I am who I am today, and you are the one who I want to spend my life with. Should this war end accordingly, you would become Fire Lady. Katara, will you be my Valentine, now and forever?" He asked, anxious.

"Oh Zuko," she sighed, "Yes! Nothing can ever take me away from you again. I love you,"

"I love you too," He whispered. As he slid the ring on her finger, she looked up at him, and both leaned down to share a kiss that would last an eternity.

Somewhere in the Spirit world, two mothers embraced and a moon spirit glowed with the strength and power of love.

Watching them in the forest, The Dragon of the West smiled and reminisced about his past romances.

Somewhere in the campsite, Aang and Toph smiled at each other, then turned away and blushed.

And somewhere near Appa, Sokka fainted.



R & R.

The Zutara Critic (and now writer!)


End file.
